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B’Haram Attack: Soldiers Missing, 13 Others Wounded

Published

9 years ago

October 19, 2016

An unspecified number of Nigerian soldiers went missing after an attack by Boko Haram in Gashigar, a northern Borno State community that borders Niger Republic, the Army has said.
The Army spokesperson, Sani Usman, said the soldiers were attacked at their position at about 5:30 p.m. on Monday.
Mr. Usman, a colonel, described the attackers as “escaping remnants of Boko Haram.”
“The troops did their best to defend the location in vain. In the process, 13 soldiers sustained injuries while some are still missing in action,” he said.
The spokesperson said the troops suffered a “temporary setback” and had to withdraw from the location.
“However, the wounded soldiers have been evacuated and receiving treatment, while efforts are ongoing in search of those missing and clear the Boko Haram terrorists at the general area,” he said.
The Boko Haram insurgency in Northern Nigeria has caused the death of over 20,000 people and displacement of millions of others.
The group recently engaged in negotiation with the Federal Government which led to the release of 21 of the over 200 girls kidnapped from Chibok in Borno State in April 2014.
Despite the negotiation and despite losing initially claimed territory to the Nigerian forces, the group still carries out attacks like that of Monday.
Meanwhile, a military tribunal sitting in Maiduguri, Borno State, yesterday sentenced a Staff Sergeant in the Nigeria Army to three years behind bars for causing permanent disability of a ten-year-old boy.
The convict, Umar Sule, who has served 26 years in the army, was also stripped of all ranks and demoted to a private by the tribunal presided over by Olusegun Adeniyi, a brigadier-general.
Mr. Sule, according to the charge sheet presented to the military court martial, inflicted a permanent injury on Muhammed Sale by tying him up for stealing his N2000.
The tall and heavily built demoted officer admitted before the court martial that he tied the two hands of the boy to a pole for over seven hours.
Due to the torture, Sale’s two wrists suffered gangrene. The condition is a premature death of cell caused by lack of blood flow.
Doctors later had Sale’s jaundiced right hand amputated. The other, though paralyzed, was partially salvaged by grafting of skin from the victim’s lap to patch it up.
The National Human Rights Commission took up the matter by petitioning the Nigerian Army on the conduct of the soldier.
The Army responded by arraigning Mr. Sule before the court martial, which was set up on August 11 to try miscellaneous offences under the military’s Operation Lafiya Dole.
The court found the accused soldier guilty of two charges of “unlawful assault, and disobedience of standing order of the Nigerian Armed Forces by entertaining a minor at his guard location”.
Delivering the ruling, President of the court martial, Mr. Adeniyi, said, “having found you guilty of the charges against you, and having listened to the prosecution counsel urging this court to treat you as a first offender, and this convict’s touching plea to litigation, we have also looked at various punishments provided by both Section 104, sub-Section 2B of Armed Forces Act CAP A20 Laws of the Federation 2004, as well as Section 119 of Armed Forces Act CAPA20 Laws of the Federation 2004.
“This court also considered the need to ensure discipline in the system. This court therefore sentence you as follows; on count one, three years imprisonment; on count two, reduced to private. This sentence is however subject to confirmation by the confirming authority as provided by Section 141 Sub-section 2 and Section 152, Sub-section 1A of the Armed Forces Act, CAP A20 Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 2004”.
The representative of the NHRC at the trial commended the Nigeria Army for ensuring that the victim got justice via a transparent trial.
She said the NHRC office would help the victim “who now has to live with permanent disability for the rest of his life” to pursue compensation through the civil court.
“We commend the Nigeria Army for a job well done, because we brought the complaint to them in March, 2016, and by October, they are done with the case.
“In respect of getting compensation for the victim, we will communicate with our head office which has the powers to take that decision; but we are going to send our recommendation to ensure that this is achieved”.
She also commended the General Officer Commanding of 7 Division, Nigeria Army for offering to sponsor the boy’s education.
The father of the boy, Usman Muhammed, narrated to journalists at the venue of the tribunal the events that led to his son’s brutalization.
“My son, who used to go to the soldiers’ base for errands, was invited on that fateful day by Sergeant Sule who said his N2000 was stolen. My son confessed to him that he was the one that took it, and that he should forgive him”.
“Sergeant Sule asked my son to wait for him to return from the Friday mosque. When he returned from the mosque, he tied up his two hands to an electric pole, and left him there for over seven hours. He tied his hands with a rubber bound and continued to flog him for that long period.
“When he finally left him after hours of plea, the two hands had been damaged. When we took him to the hospital, we were told that the right hand had gone bad and had to be amputated. The left hand too was almost beyond repair, they had to peel off skin from his leg to patch it up. As it is now, the boy has lost two hands due to the action of a soldier”, said Mr Muhammed.
He said he was pleased with the judgment of the court martial, even as he worried that his son still needed support now that he would have to live the rest of his life with no hands.

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Rivers: Impeachment Moves Against Fubara, Deputy Hits Rock …As CJ Declines Setting Up Panel

Published

1 week ago

January 23, 2026

The Tide

The impeachment moves against Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminialayi Fubara, and his deputy, Prof. Ngozi Ordu, by the Rivers State House of Assembly has suffered a setback following the refusal by the State Chief Judge, Hon. Justice Simeon C. Amadi, to set up a seven-man investigate panel to probe the governor and his deputy.

Justice Amadi hinged his decision on subsisting interim court injunctions and pending appeals.

Recall that the Assembly members had earlier requested the Chief Judge to set up a seven-man investigative panel to probe allegations of gross misconduct against Fubara and his deputy.

In a letter dated January 20, 2026, and addressed to the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Martins Amaewhule, the Chief Judge acknowledged receipt of two separate letters from the Assembly, both dated January 16, 2026, requesting the constitution of an investigative panel pursuant to Section 188(5) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).

However, the State Chief Judge explained that his hands were tied by ongoing judicial proceedings directly connected to the impeachment process.

He disclosed that his office had been served with interim injunctions issued on January 16, 2026, arising from two separate suits challenging the actions of the House of Assembly.

The suits include Suit No. OYHC/6/CS/2026, filed by the Deputy Governor against the Speaker and 32 others, and Suit No. OYHC/7/CS/2026, instituted by Governor Fubara against the Speaker and 32 others.

According to him, the interim injunctions expressly restrain him from “receiving, forwarding, considering and or howsoever acting on any request, resolution, articles of impeachment or other documents or communication from the 1st -27th and 31st Defendants for the purpose of constituting a panel to investigate the purported allegations of misconduct against the Claimant/Applicant for seven days.”

Justice Amadi stressed that obedience to court orders is non-negotiable in a constitutional democracy, regardless of personal opinions about such orders.

“Constitutionalism and the Rule of Law are the bedrock of democracy and all persons and authorities are expected to obey subsisting orders of court of competent jurisdiction, irrespective of perception of its regularity or otherwise,” he stated.

To further underscore his position, the Chief Judge cited judicial precedent, referring to the case of Hon. Dele Abiodun v. The Hon. Chief Judge of Kwara State & 3 Ors. (2007), in which the Chief Judge of Kwara State was faulted for proceeding to constitute a panel despite a subsisting court order restraining such action.

Quoting directly from the judgment, Justice Amadi recalled: “I liken the scenario created by the Chief Judge to the position of a chief priest and custodian of an oracle turning round to desecrate the oracle,” a passage he said highlights the sacred duty of judicial officers to uphold the law.

He added that the judiciary, as “the custodian and head of the judicial arm of the State, ought to abide by the laws of the State, nay the land…”

He further noted that the Rivers State House of Assembly had already filed appeals against the interim injunctions at the Court of Appeal, Port Harcourt Division, with notices of appeal served on January 19 and 20, 2026.

“In view of the foregoing, my hand is fettered, as there are subsisting interim orders of injunction and appeal against the said orders.

“I am therefore legally disabled at this point, from exercising my duties under Section 188(5) of the Constitution in the instant,” the Chief Judge declared.

He concluded by expressing hope that “the Rt. Hon. Speaker and the Honourable Members of the Rivers State House of Assembly will be magnanimous enough to appreciate the legal position of the matter.

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Tinubu Hails NGX N100trn Milestones, Urges Nigerians To Invest Locally

Published

3 weeks ago

January 9, 2026

The Tide

President Bola Tinubu yesterday celebrated the Nigerian Exchange Group’s breakthrough into the N100tn market capitalisation threshold, saying Nigeria has moved from an ignored frontier market to a compelling investment destination.

Tinubu, in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, urged Nigerians to increase their investments in the domestic economy, expressing confidence that 2026 would deliver stronger returns as ongoing reforms take firmer root.

He noted that the NGX closed 2025 with a 51.19 per cent return, outperforming global indices such as the S&P 500 and FTSE 100, as well as several BRICS+ emerging markets, after recording 37.65 per cent in 2024.

“With the Nigerian Exchange crossing the historic N100tn market capitalisation mark, the country is witnessing the birth of a new economic reality and rejuvenation,” Tinubu said.

He attributed the stellar performance to Nigerian companies proving they can deliver strong investment returns across all sectors, from blue-chip industrials localising supply chains to banks demonstrating technological innovation.

The President added, “Year-to-date returns have significantly outpaced the S&P 500, the FTSE 100, and even many of our emerging-market peers in the BRICS+ group. Nigeria is no longer a frontier market to be ignored—it is now a compelling destination where value is being discovered.”

Tinubu disclosed that more indigenous energy firms, technology companies, telecoms operators and infrastructure firms are preparing to list on the exchange, a move he said would deepen market capitalisation and broaden economic participation.

He also cited what he described as a sustained decline in inflation over eight months—from 34.8 per cent in December 2024 to 14.45 per cent in November 2025—projecting that the rate would fall below 10 per cent before the end of 2026.

“Indeed, inflation is likely to fall below 10 per cent before the end of this year, leading to improved living standards and accelerated GDP growth. The year 2026 promises to be an epochal year for delivering prosperity to all Nigerians,” he said.

The President attributed the trend to monetary tightening, elimination of Ways and Means financing, and agricultural investments, which he said helped stabilise the naira and ease post-reform pressures.

Nigeria’s current account surplus reached $16bn in 2024, with the Central Bank projecting $18.81bn in 2026, reflecting a trade pattern shift toward exporting more and importing less locally-producible goods.

Non-oil exports jumped 48 per cent to N9.2tn by the third quarter of 2025, with African exports nearly doubling to N4.9tn. Manufacturing exports grew 67 per cent year-on-year in the second quarter.

Foreign reserves have crossed $45bn and are expected to breach $50 billion in the first quarter, giving the CBN ammunition to maintain currency stability and end the volatility that previously fuelled speculation, according to the President.

Tinubu also highlighted infrastructure expansion in rail networks, arterial roads, port revitalisation, and the Lagos-Calabar and Sokoto-Badagry superhighways, alongside improvements in healthcare facilities that are reducing medical tourism costs, and increased university research grants funded through the Nigeria Education Loan Fund.

“Our medicare facilities are improving, and medical tourism costs are declining. Our students benefit from the Nigeria Education Loan Fund, and universities are receiving increased research grants,” he said.

He described nation-building as a process requiring hard work, sacrifices, and citizen focus, pledging to continue working to build an egalitarian, transparent, and high-growth economy catalysed by historic tax and fiscal reforms that came into full implementation from January 1.

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RSG Kicks Off Armed Forces Remembrance Day ‘Morrow …Restates Commitment Towards Veterans’ Welfare

Published

3 weeks ago

January 9, 2026

The Tide

The Rivers State Government has reiterated its commitment towards the welfare of veterans, serving officers and widows of fallen officers in the State.

?The Secretary to the Rivers State Government, Dr. Benibo Anabraba, in a statement by ?Head, Information and Public Relations Unit, SSG’s ?Office, ?Juliana Masi, stated this during the Central Planning meeting of the 2026 Armed Forces Remembrance Day in Port Harcourt, yesterday.

?Anabraba thanked the Committee for their contributions to the success of the Emblem Appeal Fund Ceremony recently held in the State and called on them to double their efforts so that the State can record resounding success in the remaining activities.

?According to him, the remembrance day events will begin with Jumaàt Prayers on Friday, 9th January at the Rivers State Central Mosque, Port Harcourt Township, while a Humanitarian Outreach/Family and Community Day will be hosted on Saturday, 10th January, by the wife of the governor, Lady Valerie Siminalayi Fubara, for widows and veterans.

?”On Sunday, 11th January, an Interdenominational Church Thanksgiving Service will hold at St. Cyprian Anglican Church, Port Harcourt Township while the Grand-finale Wreath- Laying Ceremony will hold on Thursday, 15th January at the Isaac Boro Park Cenotaph, Port Harcourt”, he said.

?The SSG noted that one of the highlights of the events is the laying of wreaths by Governor Siminalayi Fubara and Heads of the Security Agencies.